


Show Me My Silver Lining

by Empersian1234



Category: Borderlands
Genre: Amputation, College AU, Dating, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Multi, Pandora University, Trans!Kroger, domestic AU, trans!Rhys
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-01
Updated: 2016-02-01
Packaged: 2018-05-16 17:34:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5834512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Empersian1234/pseuds/Empersian1234
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In search of a fresh start, Kroger tries to leave his past behind by moving to Chicago to attend Pandora University. However, its hard to leave behind the pain each time he looks into a mirror. Then he meets Finch, the first person to ever treat him as a human being.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Show Me My Silver Lining

**Author's Note:**

> Been a while since I've wrote a fanfic, and hopefully I can keep up with this one because it's going to be Long. This is a story I have had in my head since October of 2015 and now I'm finally getting around to writing. Enjoy~ :3

Kroger sat in the back seat of the cab, fidgeting with the key on his necklace nervously as he stared out the window. The closer he got to his destination, the more anxious he became about being in such a new environment. The high-end skyscrapers were something he was not used to. When the cab finally left downtown Chicago, his shoulders began to loosen, if only a little. Upon exiting the city, more foliage began to line the road. The trees were still a bright green in mid-August, the cold of the upcoming autumn season having not yet set in.

When he had entered the cab, the driver had given Kroger a funny look upon seeing the heavy brown leather jacket and bright red scarf the young man was wearing. Kroger had shrugged it off, knowing there had been no way he would remove warm clothes. While the heat was almost stifling, the layers gave him a small sense of security that would be lost if he removed them.

While watching the trees zoom past, he subconsciously began to pull back one of his sleeves, looking down for a brief moment before forcing himself to shove the sleeve back down and look up. Taking a deep breath, a small smile pulled at his lips. _‘Stop worrying about it, dude. You’re away from all that now…’_ With a soft sigh, the smile disappeared as his thoughts began to take a bad turn. _‘…Am I?’_

Kroger was jostled out of his thoughts when the driver spoke. “Stop’s comin’ up, kid. Pandora University, right?”

Muttering a small confirmation, Kroger looked out of his window, watching as a large congregation of buildings began to slide into view. The sheer size of the campus was daunting, and Kroger’s nerves returned at full force. Fidgeting with his scarf, he noticed an equally overwhelming amount of people on the campus as the cab turned onto a small private drive. The cab pulled up to what appeared to be the dorms, a set of six three-story buildings behind the main campus. The driver turned back to look at the young man, placing his arm behind the passenger seat. The man cleared his throat, snapping his fingers to try and get Kroger’s attention, the young man still staring absentmindedly at the buildings.

“Trunk’s popped, kid,” the driver said gruffly, making his passenger jump slightly.

“Oh, sorry,” Kroger replied quietly, quickly pulling out his wallet. He payed and thanked the driver before climbing out of the vehicle. As soon as Kroger retrieved his luggage and closed the truck of the cab, the vehicle sped off around the drive, which encircled a spacious courtyard.

At first, Kroger’s eyes followed the cab as it sped away, but then his eyes fell upon the oak trees that grew within the courtyard. Several trees lined the outer edge of the courtyard and a stone path. Out of the center of the courtyard rose a massive oak tree that stood taller than the university itself. For a fleeting moment, the magnificent tree distracted him from the multitude of students that lingered in the courtyard. A small uproar from some students playing with a softball startled Kroger, and without a second of hesitation, he grabbed his bags and turned towards the dorms.

Kroger had not noticed at first, but each of the dorm buildings seemed to have a designated color and name. From left to right the buildings were Hyperion, adorned by yellow banners and flags; Jakobs with orange; Maliwan with neon teal and orange; Atlas with bright red and white; Torgue with dark blue and white checker board patterns; and Dahl with dark green. The Atlas building was adorned with extra banners and posters that read “Welcome New Students!” It was the only of the dorm buildings the featured the message, so with a shrug, Kroger entered the building. Within the building, there were more signs directing new students to an office.

When Kroger found the office, he knocked lightly on the door, which stood slightly ajar. He peered inside and saw a woman writing something in a notepad. Her skin was pale and her hair was platinum blond. Her left arm was adorned by strange tattoos. Once she finished writing, she looked up, her faded, chilling eyes catching him. With a faint smile, she waved him in. Kroger left his suitcase and backpack just outside her door before stepping in and taking a seat before her desk.

“New student? Pft, of course you are,” the woman scoffed, and offered her hand. With a slight nod, Kroger took her hand and shook it.

“The name’s Steele. You?” She opened a file cabinet, ready to search for his file once he answered.

“Kroger Bellefontaine,” he replied quietly.

Immediately, the woman found his file, pulled out a small packet of paperwork and handed it to him.

“Here is your lease.” Steele pointed to where he would sign and continued speaking as he flipped through the small packet of paper. “You are going to be staying in a temporary dorm in this building until Orientation Day, which is in two days. Then you will be assigned to a house and you can go to the corresponding dorm building, speak to their director and get the keys to the dorm you’ll be staying for the duration of the semester. I, obviously, am the director for the Atlas dorms. You’ve already taken care of your payments, correct?”

Kroger listened intently as he went over his lease, nodding in reply to her question.

He could feel her gaze wash over him and it began to make him uncomfortable, shrinking into himself. Every now and then he took a quick glance from his paperwork up to her, then back to his papers. The woman was leaned back her chair, right leg crossed over the other, pressing the tip of her pen to her lips lightly.

“Is that your normal attire?” She inquired, tipping her head to side, raising an eyebrow.

The question caught Kroger off guard. He awkwardly glanced down at his clothes, fumbling around for words. After a moment, he simply shrugged his and nodded, pulling his jacket till it was nearly closed.

“Hm. The make-up, too? Just curious. You see, our headmaster really loves the color red, and you seem to wear a lot of it. Don’t be surprised if you end up in Atlas.” Steele offered a soft, kind smile and picked up Kroger’s paperwork. “She’s a sweet little thing, loves all her students. Seems to have a soft spot for those who wear red, though,” the woman said with a quiet chuckle. “There was a young woman last year who started, and Gortys was just gushing over her and the red outfit she was wearing. I think the girl had a red streak through her hair, too. She’s now with Atlas.”

 With the explanation, Kroger loosened his shoulders and sat up in his chair, giving a small smile to match the woman’s.

Once Kroger finished his signing his paperwork, he handed it to Steele, who quickly looked it over. When she deemed it was sufficient, she placed it on a stack of papers to the side. With a smile, she stood and offered her hand.

As Kroger stood to take her hand, Steele said, “Welcome to Pandora, Kroger.” Once they were done shaking hands, Steele continued. “At 5pm tomorrow, one of our senior students will be by to show our new students around the campus. After you’ve settled in your temp dorm, feel free to explore the campus yourself if you’d like. Now, before you leave…”

Steele walked to the back of her office, plucking a key and its chain from a tack stuck in a bulletin board. Several other keys hung likewise on the board. Walking back to her desk, she handed the keychain to Kroger.

“Here are the keys to your temp dorm.” She took a moment to explain where he could find his room. When she was finished, she added with a soft smile, “I’m sure you have a great time here at Pandora.”

Kroger nodded shyly and replied with a quiet ‘thank you,’ and before he stepped out of the office, also wished the woman a good evening.

Before he left, though, something else crossed his mind. He turned back into the office and asked, “Don’t I need other stuff like an I.D. or a schedule?”

“You’ll get those after the orientation,” Steele replied flatly. “Yeah, Headmaster Gortys runs things a little more differently than most other universities. You’ll get used to things like that.”

He nodded, thanked her again, and gave a short wave, then left.

 _‘Headmaster Gortys? Never heard a name like that before… I guess the quirky name matches Steele’s description of her…’_ Kroger thought on the way to his dorm.

Kroger sighed with relief when he stepped into his dorm, finding that it was a single occupancy room. It was a quaint little room, consisting of a bed covered with red and white sheets and comforters, a wardrobe, a dress, and a small desk and chair. Adjacent but not separate to the room was a small kitchen that had the essentials; counter space with a sink; an electric stove; a microwave; and a small refrigerator. Next to the entrance was the door to the equally small bathroom, which had only enough room for a small cabinet sink, toilet, and bathtub with a shower head. A window with closed blinds was next to the bed.

After setting down and placing his keys and wallet on the desktop, Kroger kicked off his boots and sat his jacket on the back of the chair, along with his scarf. The chain that hung around his neck was sat next to his wallet. Kroger laid his suitcase on its side, opening it and reaching into one of its pockets, pulling out a plastic ziplock bag that contained various bathroom necessities like a toothbrush and a bar of soap. He then grabbed a towel and washcloth from the bulk of the suitcase and walked into the bathroom, making sure to lock the dorm door as he passed.

Kroger hung the towel on the rack hanging above the toilet and put the toilet seat down. He turned on the tub, and as it filled with hot water, he began to undress, setting his clothes on the seat.

Once undressed, Kroger stepped into the bath, sighing as he lowered himself into the water, reveling as all his pent-up tension began to melt away. Before he got too comfortable, he reached into the ziplock bag, pulling out some makeup removing wipes. He used one to wipe off the dark red shadow that painted his eyelids and used a second to wash off his curled moustache. He set the wipes aside, noting to himself that he would throw them away in the trashcan in the living room once finished with his bath.

He lay himself back into the water, letting the heat envelope him and seep into his muscles. It had been a few days since he’d had the luxury of a nice bath or even a shower. He had been on the run, more focused on making sure he was able to get to Chicago and that he would be able to attend this university.  He knew it wasn’t healthy, but he hadn’t even had time to eat since the evening before; when he woke up earlier that morning, the only thing on his mind was checking to be sure he had everything he would need and that he would make his flight to Chicago. Now that he had arrived, he had some time to relax, knowing that he had no more extreme deadlines. The only tasks he had made for himself when he arrived was to take a long bath –check- then get himself fed as soon as he was settled.

Kroger pulled a bar of soap and a bottle of 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner. He took his time washing himself, then once he was clean and rinsed off, he climbed out, dried off, and walked into the bedroom. He quickly went through his suitcase to find a fresh outfit to wear. He put on his underwear, pants, and socks but carried his shirt with him instead of putting on. He stepped back into the bathroom, hanging up his shirt on the rack beside the towel. He then grabbed a makeup compact and a bottle of liquid eyeliner from the ziplock bag. He also picked out his toothbrush and toothpaste. After first brushing his teeth, he took the eyeliner and drew on his moustache, then used the bright red colors in the compact to cover his eyelids.

After his makeup was set, Kroger dug out a comb from the bag and straightened out his hair. Once he deemed his facial appearance, he began to dig through the clothes he had left on the toilet sit until he found his binder. He sighed in a melancholic tone, looking at the piece of fabric almost ashamed.

_‘Remember, one day, you’ll never have to wear one of these damned things again…’_

He looked at himself in the mirror, sneering at the pair of round lumps of flesh protruding from his chest.

_‘For now though…’_

Kroger promised himself from that point he would never leave his dorm without his binder on as long his lived or until he finally had surgery.

He slipped the binder on, trying to shake the grim feeling. Once he made himself comfortable, he put on the shirt he picked out. After one last check on his appearance, he picked up his old clothes and stepped into the bedroom. Kroger set the clothes next to his suitcase and grabbed his old flip-phone out of his jacket pocket.

The time was nearly 4 o’ clock in the afternoon.

At that moment, Kroger’s stomach let out a loud groan. He let out an even louder, annoyed groan when he remembered how long it had been since he’d ate. He also hated to feel rushed about leaving the safety of his room to go find food.

Continuing to groan quietly in a huffy manner, Kroger threw on his scarf and jacket. He grabbed his dorm keys and stuffed his wallet into a pocket inside his jacket. His phone went into one of his front jeans pockets. Kroger stepped out of his dorm, locked the door, and went to the main lobby of the building. From there, he went back to Steele’s office.

Upon seeing that the woman was in her office, Kroger shyly knocked on the door. Steele looked up from the work on her desk, flashed him a quick smile and ushered him into the office.

“How can I help you Mr. Bellefontaine? I trust everything is going okay?”

Kroger blushed lightly at the honorific, something he wasn’t accustomed to just yet.

He cleared his throat before answering, “Yes, ma’am, everything’s fine. I was just wondering what kind of places around here serve good food?”

With a light chuckle, the woman said, “There are a few fastfood places up the road, but if you want something quick, the cafeteria in the university serves dinner till about 7. It’s pretty decent for cafeteria food, the headmaster tries to make sure that only the best if served to her students. And it’s pretty affordable, too.”

Kroger gave her a slight bow and thanked her quietly before retreating from the woman’s office.

It was a quick walk across the courtyard doing his best to avoid all other students to get to the main building of the university. From there, it was easy to find the cafeteria. Kroger kept his eyes down as he ate, sitting in one of the less populated areas of the cafeteria. Once he finished eating, he wasted no time getting back to the dorms.

Walking into the Atlas building, Kroger felt less on edge now that he had both a cleansing bath and a full belly. He wandered around the lobby, taken in the environment. Leather couches either lined the walls or sat around short coffee tables. One set of couches and chairs sat facing a television. Some other students sat to watch T.V. and others were playing ping-pong at the opposite end of the room. Kroger ignored them, suddenly noticing a set of the double-doors and large windows lining the back of the lobby.

Kroger walked out of the building, quickly noticing three things; a grand football field surrounded by tall bleachers stood directly in front him; to the right was a baseball diamond surrounded by a tall chain-link fence and bleachers on one side; a parking lot for both visitors and residents lay beyond the baseball diamond; and to the left of the football field was a theater which seemed to be modeled after Greek amphitheaters. Plain Ionic columns supported the theater’s roof.

Kroger paid no mind to the group of rowdy men playing football on the field and walked straight to the amphitheater, curious about the group of people who appeared to be performing there. A very small amount of people sat in the stands watching the performers. It was by no means professional, perhaps a group of students simply adlibbing or practicing. He stood by the stage, watching as the small group of young performers reenacted a scene from Romeo and Juliet. From what Kroger could tell, it was the sword fight between Mercutio and Tybalt, however, he had to laugh at the use of pool noodles as swords.

From what Kroger could tell, the young woman acting as Mercutio was excellent at what she did, and as Kroger tried to recite the lines as best as he could, she could do it perfectly. As the fight went on, the actors’ movements became more erratic, and Kroger was surprised the woman’s white hat was still on her head.

Finally, the scene drew to a close as the woman feigned being stabbed by the actor of Tybalt, collapsing to the floor with a pool noodle underneath her arm. As she made uttered her character’s final words, the people in the stands began to clap and Kroger joined them. The actors then stood and bowed before their small audience. The woman removed her hat as she bowed and Kroger finally noticed the red streak going through the woman’s bangs. _‘Whoa, the chick Steele mentioned. What a coincidence I’d meet her so soon… She’s a fantastic actor… Maybe she’s in the drama program, too?’_

At about that moment, he heard some loud hollering coming from the football field. Kroger tried as best as he could to ignore them and simply shook his head at how obnoxious they were.

“Hey, look out!” a voice called from his right. Kroger turned to look, and as he did, a blunt, hard object collided with his forehead, and everything went black. 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Alright, so, as a heads up, I have a tumblr account as shingekinotalia, may eventually change that to my common penname. Anywho, I post a lot of random Borderlands fanart, generally it has been all Finch and Kroger, and I will be posting a lot of fanart of this fic as I go, so if you're interested, please go check out my blog~


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